8 Ways to Have More Time

Time management tips are individual because each of us has his own difficulties and possibilities. Students have different problems than businessmen or housewives, women other than men, office workers other than freelancers. But some ideas may be useful for everyone.

1. Let's start with statistics

List the tasks of your everyday life. Calculate, how much time each one takes. Write it down and analyze. Maybe, you will find something you don't need at all. Or even something, which is more precious and demands more time. But it will be your deliberate decision and not just waste. Everyone has specific affairs which can be reduced in time. Some girls will find out that they spend too much time before the mirror, some gentlemen see that smoking not only kills by harming health but also by taking the lifetime etc.

2. Reduce

Now you can optimize the tasks from your list. If you spend too much time each evening buying food – it might be useful to do it for a whole week. Maybe, you'll even find out, that the way from home to office and back takes half of the day, and think of changing either flat or job. Very likely, you'll see checking messages and chatting on the top of the list. Try not to use your smartphone at certain hours.

3. Plan your day and keep to the schedule

The plans are better to be quite precise but give yourself little time buffers just in case. Don't write down: the way home, then cleaning, then German lesson, then meeting with Daniel, then taking shower. Set definite time limits, like:

the way home till 18.30

cleaning till 19.30

German lesson 19.30-20.30

Cut off the activity, when the time limit is exceeded.

4. Defeat procrastination.

Develop your will. This is a separate large problem. Luckily, there is also a lot of materials on this topic. Try giving yourself a little reward for every task completed in time. You may feel better if you think that you are allowed to have a 5-minute break after first 15 minutes of work. But just in case you start it right NOW.

5. Try to combine mechanical and intellectual work

It is especially important for students. And the good news is that the mechanical work really helps our brain to memorize things. Try to listen to new words or audio lectures on your way or while cleaning the house, or making the morning exercises. You can mentally work on your project, speech or coursework while walking home. Sure, these tips won't help with writing papers, but for this you have Edubirdie.

6. Investigate your need for sleep

It is very important for productivity to have the right amount of sleep. If you sleep less than you need, you gain an additional hour or two, but loose effectiveness, become slow and spent more time doing simple tasks. On the other hand, if you sleep too long, you not only loose the precious morning minutes, you also can oversleep and do harm to your health. So, experiment. Try sleeping 7 or 8 hours. Buy a Sleep Tracker gadget that will wake you up at the right moment.

7. Organize your space

It doesn't mean you must have perfect order on your desk. Though there prevailing belief that the tidy workplace helps to get more productive, there are also research that shows it is not the fact. Indeed, sometimes what seems a mess to other people is the right arrangement of things suitable for you. And if you feel comfortable this way, you needn't easting your time tiding your desk and then searching necessary papers. You just have to find such organization of the objects in the room that nothing would distract you from what you are doing at the moment. If your laptop spoils your evening with the wife, or your wife's photo makes you stop working – it is a real disorder.

8. A magic word

You know this powerful spell. It sounds like “No”. It will save your time with bothersome people. And you might find it interesting to say it sometimes to yourself. It can be a perfect answer to “Shall I watch this new comedy after the midnight?”, “Should I try and unlock one more achievement before I go to sleep/to the office?”.

Find out how to manage your time and you will enjoy the results every day and the whole life!